Distributing valve



y 937. K. R. SMART 2,081,510

DISTRIBUTING VALVE Filed June 28, 1934.

INVENTOR.

Wand/f2 5m ari TTORNE 5.

Patented May 25, 1937 YATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic valves for hydraulic apparatus, and is particularly concerned with the distribution of water from a single source of supply to a plurality of outlets or destinations in such manner that an intermittent supply is delivered alternately to each, at full pressure, without the reduction of pressure which would occur if the supply were constantly distributed among all ,the outlets in the ,usual manner.

In many communities the available water pressure is insufficient to permit simultaneous operation of a plurality of lawn sprinklers, for example, or other water-using apparatus, without undesirable loss of head. Accordingly a preferred application of my invention is illustrated as applied to supplying a plurality of lawn sprinklers in such manner that the full pressure of the supply is successively furnished e-ach sprinkler individually, while the others remain idle. An important advantage of this construction will be appreciated to reside in the fact that full pressure is made available, even though many outlets may be in service. i

An important object of the invention is the provision of apparatus accomplishing the aforementioned advantageous ends in a very simple, economical and entirely automatic manner.

Still another object is the provision of means whereby the pressure of the water supply may be utilized to operate the automatic valving means, or if desired, an external source of power may be applied for this purpose.

A further object is the provision in such a construction of means whereby the application of an external source of power to actuate the valve means may also be made to function to boost the supply pressure.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of my invention, and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a hoseconnected sprinkler system incorporating automatic distributing means constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the automatic distributing valve, taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. l and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections, partly in plan, taken substantially on the lines 3--3 gate 24 into a manifold chamber 25.

and 44 respectively of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing; reference character ID designates in Fig. 1 an ordinary water faucet, which of course represents, and might be supplanted moreover, by any suitable source of water under pressure. A hose I2 is shown cou- 10 pled to the faucet in the usual manner, and extending to the inlet [4 of the casing l5 of my improved automatic distributing valve. This valving means, although shown as of portable construction, might, as will readily be appreciated, 15 be of fixed character and installed in a pipe line or the like rather than in a hose system; as for example, to control the supply of water to the underground pipes of a sub-surface sprinkler system or the like.

The casing I5, the construction of which is best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, is of flattened ovate contour and divided into upper and lower sections by the horizontal partition l1. Below the partition H in the smaller end of the casing is arranged a turbine water wheel 20, fast on a Vertical shaft 22 whose upper extremity projects through and above the top of the casing, for a purpose which will presently appear. The inlet l4 enters the chamber IS in which the water wheel rotor is housed in proper position to drive the latter, as best shown in Fig. 4, and the discharge from the wheel is delivered through a Fillin the space between the plate ll and top plate I5 of the casing, and above the manifold chamber 25, is arranged a rotary valve disc 21 journ-aled on a stub shaft 29 and carrying at its periphery a ring gear 30 meshing with a driving gear 3i fast upon rotor shaft 22 above the partition l1, and 2.0- 40 cordingly adapted to be driven by the water wheel.

A plurality of aligned pairs of inlet and outlet valve ports 32--33 are formed in the plates |'l|5 respectively, concentrically with respect to the axis of the valve disc 2! in the shown con- 45 struction, and in such manner that the arcuate valve slot 35 which extends through the disc is adapted to successively provide communication between different ones of the opposed pairs of ports 32-33, and close the rest, during rotation 50 of the disc, for predetermined relative intervals, whose length of course depends upon the length of the slot and rate of rotation of the valve.

Suitable outlet couplings are attached to the top of the casing and connected to the outlet 55 ports 33, as shown in Fig. 2 at 40, and to these additional hose lines as 42, are shown connected and each extending to a lawn sprinkler 50, although it will be readily apparent that the out- 5 lets could be connected to any other desired apparatus or devices. By providing a plurality of outlets in this fashion, however, and using a desired number of sprinklers, not only may a large area be covered by sprinklers working under full pressure, but the total time during which each sprinkler is operating is thus divided by the number of sprinklers attached. Not only do the rest intervals permit the water to penetrate the turf, therefore, and prevent undesired flooding, but the sprinklers may be left unattended for long intervals, as overnight for example, and the reduced actual running time of each sprinkler, when a sufficient number are used, may be availed of to prevent delivery of too much water to any one area.

rangement are of course subject to variation, and the rate of rotation of the valve may be so controlled.

As stated above, the water Wheel shaft 22 is preferably extended above the casing, and coupling means is provided, as at 23, whereby an external source of power may be connected to the wheel if desired, not only to provide means whereby the slight reduction of water pressure 30 resulting from driving the wheel by the water pressure may be eliminated, but to enable boosting the pressure by driving the wheel at a higher rate than would the water, so that it constitutes a booster pump. Obviously such external driving means might be of electric or any other desired character.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiments of my invention herein disclosed are well calculated to adequately fulfill the ob- O jects and advantages primarily set forth, it is to be understood that the invention is subject to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

5 1. In an automatic distributing valve for successively directing a supply of fluid under pressure to different outlets, in combination with a casing having inlet chamber and a valve chamberand including a partition dividing said chambers and provided with a plurality of valve inlet The gear reduction and ar-' ports, said valve chamber having a plurality of outlet ports, aligned with the inlet ports, a valve member rotatable between the inlet and outlet ports and having an elongated orifice successively registrable with different pairs of said aligned ports, to connect the inlet chamber with diiferent outlet ports, a rotor member in the inlet chamber and drivable by fluid flow therethrough, the rotor shaft extending through the valve chamber and from the casing, a driving gear on said shaft within the valve chamber, the valve being peripherally toothed and meshing with and drivable by said gear, whereby the valve and rotor are drivable either by fluid flow through the inlet chamber or by an external source of power applied to the projecting extremity of said shaft.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing having an inlet chamber and a valve chamber and including a partition dividing said chambers and provided with a plurality of valve inlet ports, said valve chamber having a plurality of outlet ports aligned with the inlet ports, a fluid motor in the inlet chamber, a valve rotatable between the inlet and outlet ports and having an elongated orifice successively registrable with different pairs of said aligned ports to connect the inlet chamber to different outlet ports, and gearing in the valve chamber and connected to the fluid motor and valve, whereby the latter may be driven by the former.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which the valve is provided with peripheral gear teeth through which it is drivable.

4. In a device of the character described, a casing having an inlet chamber and a valve chamber and including a partition dividing said chambers and provided with a plurality of valve inlet ports, said valve chamber having a plurality of outlet ports aligned with the inlet ports, a fluid motor within the inlet chamber, the outlet of said motor being connected to the valve chamber, a disc valve rotatable in the valve chamber and having an orifice extending through and rotatable into and out of registry with the aligned ports to connect the discharge of the motor to different ones of said outlets, and means providing a driving connection between the motor and valve.

KENNETH R. SMART. 

